Passing Grade
by LaurieLover89
Summary: John is the newest and most popular kid in town, Rodney is the schools biggest nerd. can these two opposites work together and get a passing grade? my first published Fic, comment and tips are love. enjoy.


Atlantis High School 2008

Toronto, Canada

_______________________________________________________________________

Rodney McKay was sitting in Mrs. Wilson's 10th grade home economics class when she announced that they would be starting an end of the year project. "My First Family" was to be a month long project where two class mates would act as a newly wed family and would be worth well over half of their final grade. Meaning that as much as Rodney wanted to skip out on the class project he couldn't, now Rodney is in 12th grade but chose to skip the class when he was in 10th. And now being one of only two people over the age of sixteen he wished he would have taken it before. The other Being John Sheppard, he was the new kid in school just two months ago but had already built up a reputation and become the most popular boy in school. But john didn't like the attention from his fellow classmates. He would rather float by unnoticed for the rest of his senior year.

"Alright class im going to be breaking you up into pairs of two." Mrs. Wilson announced over the late afternoon chatter. It was a month and a half till graduation and everyone was anxious to have the year be over. "The person I pair you up with can not be changed so don't bother arguing with me, that mean's you Mr. McKay" Mrs. Wilson shot Rodney a look across the room and began to rattle off the names of the pairs. Rodney McKay was famous for being the most difficult and brilliant student in school. His rants were legendary and he would argue a point till he won. Rodney simply looked up from his homework and shot Mrs. Wilson a 'who me? Never!' kind of look.

"Ms. Downs you'll be with Mr. William, Ms. Johnson you'll be with Mr. Miller" and the names went on till finally only two names remained. "…well Mr. McKay you'll be paired with….hum…well this should be interesting…" Mrs. Wilson scanned her list a second time. "well it seems there are only two names left..."

Mrs. Wilson's pause caused Rodney to look up from the calculus homework he was working on again. "yes? well who will my partner be ?" Rodney asked a little irritated.

"Well it's seem you and Mr. Sheppard have been paired together" she let the sentence hang in the air for a moment. As people began to whisper and snicker Mrs. Wilson explained the situation "you two are the only ones left on the list and this is a requirement in order for you to pass the class and graduate."

The entire class turned to watch the magic of Rodney's mouth take over, but instead Rodney felt his face flush and immediately looked over to see John's reaction to the news. The eyes of the other sixteen students in the class searched for John as well, he was in his normal position slumped lazily on a chair by the window. He was, as always, looking out toward the near by airport watching planes arrive and depart.

"is this going to be a problem john ?" Mrs. Wilson asked. "if it is then I can have my two T.A.'s participate in the project." Both Laura Cadman and Teyla Emmagan looked over at john hopefully. Both girls had purposely asked to be place in Mrs. Wilson's class in hopes to finally get john's attention but neither of them had been successful.

John simply looked Rodney up and down then said "nope, no problem, as long as he makes me an honest man before we consummate the marriage." Then gave a lazy yet charming smile and returned his gaze back to the rapidly approaching commercial airliner, john's statement resulted in a burst of laughter from the class and poor Rodney turning beat red.

Mrs. Wilson looked surprised at how easily that went and john's comment but continued on "excellent, well I appreciate both of you young men being mature about this, well then lets get the details of this project outlined then you all can break into your groups and begin. During this project I expect you and your partner to plan for the arrival of your first child…."

Rodney tuned out the rest of what Mrs. Wilson was saying, how was he going to handle this? John's a nice enough guy that he wouldn't be a jerk about the situation but what about everyone else. Surely john's girlfriend might be a little upset about her boyfriend of two months getting married to a man. Elizabeth Weir was oddly enough the most popular girl in school. Head cheerleader, captain of the debate team and also the shadiest girl to ever live. She secretly cheated on john with his best friend Evan Lorne; she so didn't deserve an amazing guy like John Sheppard. Elizabeth knew that Rodney had fallen for john ever since he first laid eyes on him and she did her best to let Rodney know that John was hers. Once she had caught Rodney looking at John from across the lunch room, she preceded to give Rodney a look that made his skin crawl and his balls want to recede up into his body for safety. Then later she sent Lorne and His friends after Rodney to teach him a lesson, Rodney ended up with two broken ribs and one hell of a shiner.

As Rodney remembered how much it hurt to even look at john he just couldn't afford to spend time with him 'my parents don't have enough medical insurance to put me back together once Elizabeth gets to me', his hand went up in the air before his brain even knew what he was doing. "Mrs. Wilson?" Rodney said.

"Yes Rodney do you have a question about the project?"

"Well not exactly, more of a request, is there anyway I can get a new partner?" Rodney immediately regretted the words once they left his mouth, because now everyone in the class was looking at him like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.( Who in the hell would pass up the chance to marry john Sheppard ? whether the marriage was fake or not.)

"Do you have a problem with Mr. Sheppard that will prevent you from working successfully with him?"

"No, no nothing like that it's just that…well…" Rodney's brain scrambled to find an expectable excuse. But he couldn't come up with any reason that wouldn't result in embarrassing himself in front of john and the rest of the class. 'Well you see Mrs. Wilson in kind of in love with John and I don't want his psycho of a girlfriend to send her flying monkeys after me to kick my ass…again'

"Mr. McKay?" now Mrs. Wilson was looking at him with puzzlement in her eyes. Rodney could just picture all the amazing shades of red his face was turning.

"No that's fine, john is fine." 'Damn it I just called john fine, which he is but, damn it stop talking to yourself' "well that is that john and I will make a fine…" 'Don't say couple! Don't say couple!' "team" 'very smooth, now god please let something happen to take the heat off me'

Just at that moment the bell rang and everyone made a mad dash for the door before Mrs. Wilson could realize she didn't assign homework for the night. "hold it!" Mrs. Wilson yelled. Before the first person at the door was gone and couldn't hear the announcement "for your homework tonight I want all pairs to get together for at least an hour and begin work on their projects. Have a good night. See you all tomorrow."

________________________________________________________________________

As Rodney was walking down the hallway to his locker he felt as if someone was following him, he turned and checked that the halls but they were already clear for the night. 'Hum guess im just a little jumpy because of all of today's excitement, yeah sure excitement, more like embarrassment' He continued to his locker without giving it too much more thought. As Rodney was bent over in front of his locker trying to find the books he'd need for tonight's homework a warm hand on his shoulder cause him to jump and hit his head very hard on the shelf above him, then everything around him began to spin and get dark.

As Rodney came to and began to focus he saw someone standing above him with a nervously concerned look on their handsome face. 'Oh thank god I didn't kill him' "Hey are you ok? im really sorry I scared you." 'shit its john, damn my head hurts.' Rodney began to sit up but wished he hadn't because that caused a wave of nausea to wash over him. 'great throw up on him that will make him fall for you Rodney' "what ? what happened ?" Rodney asked trying to regain his composure.

"well I came over here to see if you might want to get together after class to start on that project, but I guess I startled you and you hit your head." John said with a pained look on his face. "Wow! you've got a huge freakin' bump on your head already" john reached out and brushed the curly dark blonde hair away from Rodney's forehead and leaned in to inspect the damage. When john touched the bump Rodney sucked in a breath suddenly. Rodney tried to convince himself it was because the bump hurt, and not the fact that john's gorgeous mouth was mere inches away from his, that john's hand on his head didn't sent little bolts of electricity down his spine and that john didn't smelled like summer, the ocean and something that could only be pure john.

"I'm fine…really, thanks for sticking around a person of lesser knowledge would have just reported it as a hit and run." John stared at Rodney for a second and then let out a full on belly laugh. After he regained his composure John didn't pull back out of Rodney's personal space so Rodney did the only thing he knew would make john leave and help end this awkward moment between them, he was an ass. "Don't you have football practice or something better to do other than invade my personal space?"

Instead of john getting mad at him and leaving, he began to rise to his feet a smile curling up the sides of his full bottom lip. "relax Rodney I just wanted to make sure you were ok, look I feel pretty bad about this…"john waved his hand around in the air as if to point out the current situation of Rodney sitting on the cold lime green stained concrete and holding the side of his damaged head. "How's about I take you out to get something to eat?" Rodney just stared up at john in amazement. 'Is this really happening? I must still be unconscious.' john just continued to look down at him with an amused look on his face. "What do you say; can you help a guy out and let me clear my conscience by stuffing you with junk food?"

Rodney went into defensive autopilot, "I suppose it's the least you can do." John then reached into his back pocket to see how much cash he had on him. Upon further inspection john saw he only had five dollars. "Listen I'm kind of short on cash but…" but john didn't get to finish his sentence because Rodney was already jumping in with a reply. "Don't worry about it I should have known better than to think you would actually keep your word, you jock types are all alike…" Rodney was stopped mid-rant "whoa Rodney, I was going to say you want to go back to my place so I can get some cash, then we can go get some food." John then reached down and held his hand out for Rodney to take, Rodney took it and as soon as their skin touched they both shivered as the butterflies spread through their bodies. It was like a fire started between their two hands and for a second their eyes lock then john pulled Rodney up and the moment was lost.

Rodney shook off the feeling and bent down to get his books. In Rodney's locker he had a small mirror that he had only used once during his freshman year when he actually cared what he looked like. As Rodney got up he caught john staring at something in the mirror, Rodney realized john was staring at his ass. 'What the hell, I thought john was straight, I mean he's going out with the hottest girl in school.' But Rodney ignored it and just chalked it up to curiosity, even Rodney who's know he was gay since the 6th grade has stared at boobs and ass sometimes its just there and you have to look. [WOW! nice backside Rodney, Liz doesn't have shit on you, he's turning around pay attention john!] "So do you wanna follow me to my house in your car?" john asked while tearing his eyes away from Rodney's anatomy. "well I don't drive so…" Rodney said feeling a bit embarrassed about being the only senior that took the bus, which by glancing at his watch he'd seen he missed. "…shit, we missed the bus." Rodney said to himself more than john. "We?" john said. "Who you and your…um girlfriend?" [Wait, why do I care? I've got a girlfriend…what's her name…umm…Liz.]

"I could give you a ride" john said, they were meant in an innocent manner, but those six words went straight to the naughty part of Rodney's over active imagination. Images of he and john kissing and touching in his car began to flood his brain. "Um yeah that would be great, o wait I can't! I've got to go pick up my sister from baseball practice in a half hour; it's just across the street at the middle school." Rodney said hoping to god john wouldn't want come along. 'I just know Jeannie will want to talk to him and embarrass me' "how's about I go along with you? I love baseball; I didn't know you Canadians play it" 'Shit! Shit!' "Yeah sure that would be great, and I didn't know we did either. Wait. What do you mean you Canadians? What are you?" Rodney said sounding a little surprised, john didn't have the normal accent but then again some people didn't. John put his hand on Rodney's broad shoulder and led him through the halls and out of the school. They made they're way across the street and sat in the bleachers to watch the rest of Jeannie's practice. They fell into a casual chat about john while waiting for practice to finish up.

"Well I wasn't born in Canada; I'm from the states originally. My fathers in the Air force so we move around a lot. Canada is the only place I've been this long, it's going on a little over two months now." John said while looking at the date on his watch. "I'm hoping to stay for a while, I like the people here." John said while looking at Rodney who was staring at his shoes oblivious to the pair of hazel green eyes on him. "My mother died when I was just a kid, and after that my father didn't have any reason to keep us in one place for very long, I've lived all over the world. I lived in South Africa before we moved to Canada. What about you Rodney what's your story?" it felt kind of good to let Rodney know about him. That was the most insight he'd ever given to anyone about his life. Hell that might have been the most he'd talked in years to anyone person, for some strange reason john wanted to open up with Rodney and he wanted Rodney to open up with him. 'wow john's got a lot of stuff going on in his life, his dads military so I should probably keep the whole gay thing under wraps till I get to know him better, focus Rodney focus he asked you a question'

________________________________________________________________________

"Well my life isn't anywhere near as exciting as yours" Rodney began. "I've lived in Toronto all my life in a cramped apartment with my Mum Dad and little sister Jeannie. My parents are both college professors that teach at the university, we don't really get along because they don't approve of my lifestyle. Jeannie is the only person in my family that accepts me for me. We have had to basically raise our selves because our parents are never home and even when they are all they do it fight. My dad use to be a really heavy drinker but now he just cheats on my mum instead. Which is fine because my mum is having an affair with one of her twenty one year old students as a way to get back at him. It's not exactly the kind of home you wanna grow up in but what are you gonna do right?" Rodney said all without talking another breath. This made john think about what other things Rodney could use that talent for. "I'm sorry did I totally just scare you off? It's cool if you wanna leave I don't blame you, im kind of straight forward. I don't really have anything to hide." Rodney said a little nervously. 'I can't believe I just told him all that, even if I am straight forward that was like airing my family's dirty laundry out in front of him. Why don't I feel nervous around him anymore?' But luckily Jeannie's practice ended before john could have time to comment on all Rodney had said.

"Hey Mer who's the fox?" Jeannie said while taking her long strawberry blonde hair out of a messy ponytail and looking john up and down like he was a piece of meat. She took in john's 6 foot 2 inch frame, his hazels eyes with little flecks of green in it, his hair that seemed to defy gravity by sticking up in all direction without the use of product to create the look of bed head. John had a runner's body, long lean and built for speed, he had muscle but he wasn't bulky and awkward looking just toned and strong where it mattered most. John also had one noticeably quirky trait, both of his ears came to a point that gave them an elfish look and also his bottom lip seemed to be stuck in a constant state of pout. But all and all john was universally good looking elf shaped ears and bed head or not.

"Don't call me that" Rodney whispered to Jeannie just loud enough for john to hear [who the hell is Mer?] "this is john, john this is my brat of a little sister Jeannie" Rodney said. "Very nice work Mer he's a lot hotter than Carson was, the Scottish accent was only cute for about five minutes" Jeannie said while taking off her dirty jersey. "he is your new boyfriend right ?" this caused both john and Rodney to suddenly choke on the air they were breathing. "No! No! John's not my boyfriend, he and I are in the same home economics class and we're working on a project together. He's being nice enough to give us a ride home if you would move it along we could leave already" Rodney shoved Jeannie in the direction of the girls locker room and told her to hurry up and shower and that they would meet her back at the front of the high school in fifteen minutes.

John and Rodney set out for the high school and john's car, when they got in the car john's curiosity got the better of him. "so your…umm…gay?' john said not sure of how Rodney would act. "Yeah I am, you got a problem with that?" Rodney said a little too harshly "I'm sorry it's just that I've always gotten a lot of shit about it, and I'm just use to having to defend myself…at least verbally." Rodney unconsciously rubbed the ribs Evan and his group had broken.

"no, its not a problem at all…" john tried not to stare at the way Rodney's shirt had ridden up his side exposing a patch of pale skin just screaming to be touched. John found himself leaning in closer to Rodney's warm body. "in fact im actually…" and just at that moment Jeannie chose to arrive and knock on the back windshield very loudly. "hey you boy's knock it off in there, Meredith im not going to be the one to tell mum and dad your pregnant." Jeannie said while trying to keep a straight face. "DAMN IT JEANNIE GET IN THE CAR!" Rodney shouted through the open window even though it wasn't necessary and she could hear him just fine. "okay, okay I'm coming don't get your panties in a twist." John popped the trunk and Jeannie threw he duffle bag in and climbed into the backseat elbowing Rodney in the face on purpose. They drove out of the parking lot and onto the main road that lead to Rodney and Jeannie's apartment building a few miles from the school in downtown Vancouver.

They rode in silence for ten minutes until john just couldn't take the quiet anymore. "So Meredith huh ?" John teased wanting to know the story behind the name. Rodney let out an exasperated breathe and began to explain. "My father named me after his great grandfather and I've been suffering because of since I was in kinder garden. Do you have any idea how hard it is growing up with a girl's name! of course you don't you have a perfectly normal boys name, that is why I go by Rodney it's very hard to be taken seriously in the scientific word with a name like Meredith." And with that Rodney crossed his arms and told john to take a right at the next stop sign. John did as he was told and tried to hide the smirk that was starting to spread across his face.

Freeman Heights was not the best apartment complex in Vancouver but it sure as hell wasn't shabby either. John was surprised when he pulled up in front of the building, from what Rodney had said earlier he expected something like the apartment he shared with his father but this was anything but. The front entrance was encased in glass from floor to ceiling and even had a doorman, yep definitely not like shady pines where john lived. "Well I guess this is your stop guys" john said while staring at the building through the front windshield and taking off his aviator sunglasses. Jeannie was out the door within seconds and yelled a thanks for the ride in john's general direction. John waved at her retreating back. "Sorry Jeannie kind of cut you off earlier when we were talking, what was it you wanted to say?" Rodney asked. "Oh it was nothing important, since were together you want to get started on the project now?"

Rodney didn't bother showing john around he just took him straight to his room and closed the door. Rodney left him alone for a few minutes to take a shower, complaining that the baseball field always made him feel dirty and that he wouldn't be comfortable until he was clean again. John took the opportunity to look around Rodney's room; there were bookshelves filled with books on almost every wall. A queen sized bed in the middle of the room with plain blue sheets and bedding. He had a poster of Dr. Who on his wall along with the Starship Enterprise. John figured Rodney was a nerd but he didn't know he had such good taste in Sci Fi. And it seemed that Rodney's closet had thrown up every piece of clothing he owned all over his room. Pants, shirts underwear and socks were thrown all over the floor along with several science journals and a few comic books.

The limited edition Thor comic caught his eye, so he picked it up and made himself comfortable on Rodney's bed legs crossed at the ankles and one hand behind his head. John was so into the comic that he didn't even hear the door to Rodney's bathroom open until he saw something green move in his line of sight. It was Rodney, Rodney in a towel, Rodney in nothing but a towel! John couldn't speak his throat was suddenly dry and his palms were sweating, not wanting to ruin the comic he placed it on the bed and for reasons beyond his control stood up. "Umm, I…I just remembered that I've got something important to do for my dad…" john tried not to look at all the gorgeous pale skin that was in front of him, he had the urge to lick Rodney all over when he saw a drop of water run between Rodney's shoulder blades. "I've really gotta go ill see you at school tomorrow Rodney." And with that john was out the door and running to the privacy of his car. 'Damn it im in deep.' John thought while he started the car and made his way home.

Rodney was surprised later that night when he heard Jeannie pounding on his door and yelling that john was on the phone. 'How the hell did john get my phone number?' "Hello?" Rodney was proud that his voice only cracked a little when he talked into the receiver. "Rodney? Hi it's umm john, I was just wondering if you wanted a ride to school in the morning? Your on my way to school and well…yeah I was just wondering" john said nervously. "Can I get a ride too?" Jeannie asked, she was listening in on the call from the phone in the den. "JEANNIE ANN MCKAY HANG UP THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!" Rodney yelled out his door and into the hallway. Then there was a click of the phone being put back in the cradle and it was just john and Rodney. "Why are you doing this?" Rodney asked. This caught john off guard he was just trying to be nice to Rodney, although Rodney didn't really have any reason to trust him. He'd seen how the other "popular" kids treated him; he probably thought john was trying to pull some kind of cruel joke. "I just thought that if were going to work on this project then we should be able to hang out with each other, you know be able to stand each other. And as weird as it sounds I…well…" "You what john?" "…I like you, I've only know you for a day but your fun to hang out with and you've got good taste in Sci Fi, maybe we could ya know be friends?" Rodney stared at the phone in shock, John Sheppard the man of his dream, quite literally, wanted to spend time with him. Sure he didn't ask Rodney to get naked with him but he'd take what he could get. Just spending time with john would be worth having to do this stupid project. "Yeah I guess your right, pick me up at 7:30." And with that all john hear was the dial tone but that night he fell asleep with a grin on his face.


End file.
